Historic Dana Point (1933-1939)

This is a precious little piece of surfing history submitted by Duncan Wilson. Ever wonder what Dana Point looked like back before the harbor, and before the crowds? I'll give you a hint--there aren't any crowds! Take a look!
Learn more at: www.surfingheri.... Or, help make history by submitting your own surf related video to: [e-mail]!

[@lindawoody8501]

Skim boarding was 1960s I think. At least that was when I enjoyed it. My late father was a surfer, paddle boarder, skin diver in the 1930s through the 1960s from Ocean Beach in San Diego to the L.A. area. I tried surfing in the late 1960s but the board was a high quality used long board which was oh so heavy and Dad thought girls should not surf. Don't ask me why! Thanks for sharing these outstanding home movies of the So. CA coastline which sadly is no more.

[@jamescox8402]

Fascinating. I was born in Santa Ana and started surfing in 1959 at Newport Pier. We surfed "meepees' and 'boneyard' salt creek and eventually church and trestles. Beautiful California history here thank you for sharing.

[@genomitchalinni8106]

I used to camp at 1000 Step's Beach in the 80's. Every weekend, every summer. The longest "camp-out" was 7 days. Top that.

[@julieannesukenik5936]

What a fascinating look at our hometown, Duncan! Love your narrative. Precious historical video.

[@caseyhansen4567]

I lived in Laguna and above strands in the 80s.i would surf strands before work then later lived above Victoria beach thanks for the video

[@v3foo]

You saved a little bit of history

[@putmeinastrangerthings4258]

Yes

[@Diegocurt73]

The skim boarding shots were classic. I remember those wood boards. Excellent footage and commentary.

[@AlleyTrashBoards]

I grew up surfing strands and salt creek, and have heard the tales of killer Dana. I wish I could have seen it pre development. Thanks for providing this.

[@brucebarnes9638]

Great video of early Dana Point. I was fortunate to surf the area before the marina was built. The Villa motel had a mexican restaurant to recharge yourself after a classic surf session. Thank you for the memories.

[@ryancuda45]

thanks for sharing i love our sleepy little town.

[@choofish]

Thanks Duncan. I remember Dana Point from the late 50's and early 60's before the marina was built. It was a little more populated then but not much more.

[@mumlh8]

That skimboard looks exactly like the kind we made in 58 or 60. The board shorts are definitely 60's or later, made famous locally by Mrs. Wilkes in Laguna. We called Me-pees "Fishermans" because a guy pulled his boat onto the sand in that cove. We found a dead surfer under a rock there one morning. There were the remnants of a house with a piano that had fallen off the cliff years before in that cove. We were in the Doheny Surf Club led by Loren Harrison.

[@rmacca7362]

My grandmother went to high school in Laguna Beach in the 1930s. She was an orphaned in Missouri at 10, her grandmother in Laguna live there with her sons who were in the military.

[@karendurant4981]

Precious. So many memories. The guys in the boat appear to be some of the Newport Dory fleet. My parents in their group would stop there to buy fresh fish on our way to water ski at the brand new Newport dunes. They used to have a pirate ship out in the middle of Newport dunes that you could ride a kayak out to and dive off the plank and stuff.

[@tropocal2343]

*I'm 65, and remember when Salt Creek was a "secret surf spot", where one could escape the H.B & Newport crowds, so I camped there in incognito up on the hills above it, before it was illegally developed.* *I also used to raise pigeons, we used to call those "White King Pigeons" I had only one of those because they were rare, and it was unbelievable to see them as the dominant species at the mission, pretty wonderful actually, that could be a story in itself; how did they get there, and where did they go?* *I know this was 10 years ago, but I'm just now seeing it, so Thanks for sharing, it's very cool info.*

[@meglumine]

Awesome video!! I learned so much about my home town of DP. Thank you sir!

[@brianparks440]

My profile pic was taken on the rocks at the south end of Strands. Thank-you for preserving this historic footage and for your excellent narration!

[@Surfelements1]

Really cool historical perspective of Dana Point! I am a photographer in Dana Point at Kimble Photography and find the history of our area very unique and interesting! Thanks for the post!

[@williamsauder1823]

Thank you for sharing that.Im a life long resident of San Clemente and I like seeing the coastlines from before my time

[@blindlemonpiesky]

Thanks for sharing! hard to believe that just 30 years before this Grizzly bears were catching Samon on the beach spawning where San Juan creek flowed out to Doheny.

[@AtollSurfer]

Thank you for sharing our shared heritage

[@andrewmarshall360]

It’s beyond cool to see footage like this, makes me think of simple times. Thank You!

[@blackfishblackfish]

thank you for sharing!!!

[@900bartholomew]

I walked from my sister-in-law's home in DPt to the harbor and then the headlands and only wished i could have seen the area before development,,,(2007) thank you so much for posting this,,,

[@ke6nber]

Fanatic stuff! Thanks for sharing these films.

[@ashleysmith2509]

Awesome job. DP is my home town from 69 onward. What a treat to see it in its prestine state. Cheers Mate

[@AlleyTrashBoards]

You may have been in High school with my parents. My dad was born in 68 and my mom in 69, and they both went to Dana Hills. I forget what year they graduated.

[@joyjohnson1707]

Thank you for this film. What wonderful pictures of old Dana Point and San Juan Mission.

[@toddbefield1100]

Awesome stuff from a salt creek surfer since 1977!

[@heart4Pahoa]

Great stuff. Such riches for the imagination of an era I would have liked to experienced.

[@JimTaylorComedy]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@daveboehne907]

love this. Thanks for sharing! Dana Point will always be home!

[@jimstrausbaugh558]

I just love watching these home movies. Please post more. I'm fascinated. Thanks for the ones you have posted, they are great.

[@jrae50021]

Incredible footage. So glad you've perserved it.

[@SenneffRules]

Amazing footage that will be worth a lot someday hope you still have it

[@tazz4105]

This is a treasure! Thanks for sharing.

[@glenn_r_frank_author]

Thanks for sharing that. So fascinating to see familiar places as they were back then.

[@Blonday92]

So cool! Really appreciate you sharing this, big thanks!

[@LBballer09]

This video is amazing!

[@gannonmborchers]

this is great Duncan! Good narration also.

[@hepcat5199]

Thank you for sharing this super cool amazing video.

[@altermode]

great footage. Thank you for sharing 😎

[@krolczyk]

Thank you for sharing

[@barclaysauers255]

I was fortunate to spend many summers, 1954 thru about 1963, camping. Travel trailers at Doheny (north and south) and old smelly army tent at Young's Beach Camp (Salt Creek). You have answered a question I have been asking for 50 plus years, and nobody could answer me. "Have you heard of Me-pees and where is it?" I vaguely remember paddling to a spot north of boneyard's or north around the Dana headland, once. The guy I was with said he thought it was called Me-pee's. I was about 12 in 1960. Thank you for confirming an old and nearly lost memory. While we are on the subject, how did it get that name?

[@ptarmegen]

Wonderful footage....You did a great service to us all by preserving this!

[@kolohe2790]

Incredible Historical Footage🌍🌴🌺

[@keatingdental]

That's awesome!

[@rodmanPWN987]

wow this is so cool

[@CV_CA]

Fascianating, thanks for sharing.

[@randyn1]

Great to see. Those white pigeons are called King pigeons. They come from Rock pigeon and are known for their large size and squab production. Folks ate squab and rabbit back then.

[@vdonfarias2545]

Is this Mr Wilson? From San Clemente high school. Great video seeing how everything was back then

[@erinshearin917]

Thank you!

[@archstanton5529]

That voice sounds familiar...quiet now thats our old Pipe Major Duncan speaking :)!! Hope you are well and still got yer bagpipe you haggis sporran Thankyou for sharing this great ol capistrano bight history!!

[@manganjames1]

Thanks for sharing

[@calfolk7381]

Thank you 👍

[@genomitchalinni8106]

Right across the street from the Mission, is a taco stand. THE BEST beans I have ever had, anywhere! I believe it's called, "Senior, Pedro's". There's another one in San Clemente.

[@ryancuda45]

the line was 100 people at the mission taco stand this last saturday

[@fishhuntshoot]

It's sad that Killer Dana and Princess Point had to be destroyed to build the harbor. However, the harbor gives joy to many people, me included. It made sense at the time, and perhaps even now, to have a boating facility between Newport and Oceanside. It could never be built today.

[@jaydickey1049]

Your joyful boat harbor couldn't compare in a million years to the majesty of those irreplaceable natural mystical surf spots. Sorry.

[@fishhuntshoot]

@@jaydickey1049 I suggest getting over it.

[@jaydickey1049]

I suggest you find some soul.

[@johnsims709]

WOW SO COOL!

[@kathyhoward9223]

I was heaven on earth in the 1980s when I lived there

[@benballesteros6346]

Fantastic

[@michaelyslas5563]

Home. .. thank you! !

[@champlax8888]

crazy to think i’ve surfed this beach everyday

[@KentKiner-dt5rp]

Do you remember all the cars that were push off the cliff on to the beach at dana point ??

[@genomitchalinni8106]

"Killer Dana", before the breakwater jetty.

[@clarkewi]

I surfed around Doheny and Dana Point before the harbor wrecked it all.

[@halbo007]

Good Stuff Duncan. I have a story about the pigeons.

[@Californiansurfer]

The kindness of color by Janice Munimitsu book. 1930-1942. Mexicano and Japanese Farmers Crystal cover Newport Beach.

[@growingforboredom]

Do you want to get lunch in Dana point?

[@PamelaMaloche]

Very cool Duncan Wilson, I grew up nearby, on the Balboa Pennisula 6th street & Balboa Blvd. & remember, and camped many times at Doheny, visited the Mission several times, and surfed Dana Point many times, and protested strongly before the harbor was built.. I surfed Dana ^ Doheny too, if I recall correctly it was around 1963 that I wanted to lobby, and go directly up in Sacramneto a & loudly lobby, protesting the building of the harbor, but my parents thought I was too young.. However I looked back & realized my energies would have been futile...New York money, like Trump, they take what they want..and cater to themselves.. Anyway, I still miss the abalonge, sand dollars & sand crabs..

[@OCRay1]

Maybe edit out the fucking killing in the beginning, just a thought. Wtf

[@adams1458]

+Raymond Fee history bro, deal!

[@beaniehefner3779]

Thank you!